The Quill and Me—Devotional Blog•Oswald Chambers Reflections  
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Aug 2
Today's Reading: My Utmost for His Highest
John 16:33
"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Grace For The Hard Places

 

Chambers begins with the explanation that despite the way most people typically view the Christian life—as being delivered from all adversity—in reality it means—being delivered in all adversity. 

Like the three young men thrown into the roaring flames of the furnace, God did not keep them from the fire; He kept them in the fire. The Lord's protection was all over them. The Christian life is more akin to that story than any other I know.

But if you will recall, the boys declared their trust and faith in the Lord before they were thrown into the fire for refusing to bow down to the king's statue, and then the Lord protected them in the fire, they came out with no harm done to them or their clothing. 

The adversities we endure in life build our spiritual strength. If there were no struggles—there would be no strength. Adversity is training. But we must take that first step forward—in faith.

We are tempted to face adversities using our own common sense—but that is not the way. The way is spiritual. The flesh reacts; the spirit receives. 

The human vessel exhausts quickly, but the spiritual never runs dry. There is a river of grace flowing from the throne of God at all hours. It never stops, it never slows, it is never exhausted. Our hands must be open to receive it; our hearts must be surrendered to walk in it.

You can give of yourself so completely physically that you exhaust yourself. I have done this. 

But a saint, even when seemingly defeated, can be of good cheer... as Chambers so aptly puts it—because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.  

We need to approach everything in our life by the spiritual side. We are to walk in the spirit, in communion with God and whenever we need anything, we are to ask for it. God already knows what we need, so do not beg. Just begin with praise and thank Him for His grace and mercy and tell Him your troubles, your weakness, your needs. His grace is there for the hard places. He is our strength.

Breath Prayer

Jesus, be my strength in adversity;
You have overcome the world.

Selah,

~ Quil

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Scripture References

John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation… but be of good cheer.”

Daniel 3:16–18 “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us… but if not, we will not bow.”

Daniel 3:24–27 “Did we not cast three men into the fire?… yet they have no hurt.”

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “My grace is sufficient for thee… for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Isaiah 43:2 “When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned.”

Psalm 46:1–3 “God is our refuge and strength… therefore will not we fear.”

Romans 5:3–5 “Tribulation worketh patience… and hope maketh not ashamed.”

James 1:2–4 “Count it all joy… knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

1 Peter 1:6–7 “Though now for a season ye are in heaviness… your faith is more precious than gold.”

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”

Hebrews 12:11 “No chastening for the present seemeth joyous… but afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit.”

Galatians 2:20 “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

Colossians 1:11 “Strengthened with all might… according to His glorious power.”

Ephesians 3:16 “To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.”